Rotary engine.



No. r144,614. PATBNTED Nov. 17, 190s.

M. A. RICE. ROTARY ENGINE.

' APPLITION FILED JULY 6; 1903.

No MODEL. l n 2BHEETS-SHEET l.V

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PATBNTBD Nov. 1v, 1903.'

M. A. RICE.` ROTARY ENGINE. APPLIOATIONTILED JULY e. 1903*.

No MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/ TNE SSE S:

Uivrrsn STATES' Patented November 17, 1903.

MARK A. RICE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY lENGINE.

SPECIFICATIO forming na-rt of Letters Patent No. 744,614, dated November1'?, 1903.

Application filed J'uly 6,1903.1 Serial No. 164,348. (No model.)

lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new'and improved rotaryengine which is sim-A ple and durable in construction and arranged toinsure easy running, to allow of cutting off the motive agent at anydesired point, to permit reversing the engine, to prevent endwise thrustof the piston in the cylinder and to utilize the motive agentexpansively to the fullest advantage.

'Ihe invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointedout in the claims. Y

A practical embodiment ofthe invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews. 4

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the improvement on'theline l-l of' Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.'

Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the saine on` the line 3 3 ofFig. l. Fig. 4Ais a like view of the same on the line 4 tof-Fig. l. Fig.5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation of the cylinder, thepiston, and the pist0n-heads 5 and Fig; 6 is a diagrammatic view showingthe inlet and exhaust ports leading from the reversing-valve to thecylinder.

In the cylinder A of the engine is mounted to rotate a piston B, securedon a main shaft O, journaled in suitable bearings in the heads of thecylinder A, and in the said piston B are mounted to slide radialpiston-heads D, pressed on at'their inner ends by springs E to hold thesaid piston-heads at their outer ends in contact with the inner face ofthe cyl.

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:chambers As A4 by grad sally-inclined faces A5- fforthe inward andoutward movement of the piston-heads D, it being understood that Ithesprings E allow such inward movement ofthe piston-heads and causeoutward move- -ment thereof when the piston B rotates either.

forward or backward, according to the direction in which the engine isrunning at the From the upper end of the chamber A3 and the lower end ofthe chamber YA4 lead ports ctv -and a' to a common port a2, opening intothe 4valve-body F of la reversing-valve inv` the shape of a four-wayvalve having a valveplug F, adapted to be turned by the operag tor, ashereinafter more fully explained. p

' The upper end of the working chamber A4 and the lower end of theworking chamber A3 are connected by ports b and b with a common port h2,leading into the valve-body Fat the side opposite the one atlwhich theport a2 opens into the said valve-body. (Se'eFig. 3.)

From the top of the valve-body F leads an In this steamchest G ismounted to rotate a rotary admission-valve H, mounted to slide on and torotate withthe main shaft O, so that when the latter rotates the saidadmission-valve H rotates with it. As shown in the drawings, the

inner end of the shaft O is provided for the purpose with keywaysengaged by keys in the hub of the spider or open web at the apex end ofthe conical valve H.

The rotary admission-valve H is provided in its peripheral wall or rimwith spaced narrow ports d, adapted to register with Wide ports e,formed in a cut-off valve I, fitted into and mounted to turn in theadmission-valve H, and this cut-off valve I is under the control of theoperator and is openvat its outer end and engaged at this end by thefree ends of a spring J, secured at its middle on a shaft K, .journaledin the head G of the steam-chest G, and on the outer end of the saidshaft K is secured a handle K', provided with a spring K2, adapted toengage one of a4 series of notches in a notched segment K3, attached toor forming part of the head G.

(See Fig. 2.) Now by the operator moving the spring K2 out of engagementwith the notched segment K3 the handle K becomes unlocked and can thenbe turned to the right or to the left to turn the cut-off valve I withinthe admission-valve H to allow the ports cl to register for a longer orshorter period with the ports e, to establish a longer or a shorterconnection between the interior of the cut-oi valve I and the ports cand c2, to cut off the steam sooner or later from the latter, as thecase may be.

The live motive agent is supplied to the interior of the valve I by asupply-pipe L, connected with a boiler or other suitable source ofmotive-agent supply, and when the several ports are in the positionillustrated in the drawings then the live motive agent passing into thevalve I passes by way of the port e to the corresponding registeringport (Z into the branch ports c c2, from which the motive agent passesto the port c and into the valvebodyF at one side of the valve-plug F tothen pass through the port a2 into the ports a and a', opening into thechambers A3 and A, to act on the piston-heads D to turn the piston B inthe direction of the arrow 0c, as plainly indicated in Fig. 4. Thussteam passes simultaneously into the cylinder A at two diametricallyopposite points to act on two piston-heads D at the same time. Theexhaust-steam in front of the piston-heads D now passes by way of theports Z7 and b' into the port b2 and into the valve-body F, from whichthe motive agent can pass into the exhaust-pipe F2, leading to the outerair. By having steam acting on two diametrically opposite piston-headsat the same time all sidewise pressure is equalized.

The cylinder and its piston are preferably of considerable length, whilethe difference between the diameter of the cylinder at the abntments AA2 and that of he working chambers A3 A4 is comparatively small, so thatthe sliding motion of the piston-heads D is reduced to a minimum withoutreducing the area of the working faces of the `pistonheads.

When itis desired to reverse the engine, then the valve-plug F isturned, and for this purpose the stem of the valve-plug F is providedwith a handle F3 Linder the control of the operator and adapted to abutagainst pins F4. (See Figs. l and 2.) Now when the handle F3 is thrownover from the right to the left (see Fig. 2) then the vvalve-plug F isshifted to connect the interior of the valvebody F with the exhaust-pipeF2 and to connect the port c with the port Z22. The motive agent nowpasses from the valve-body F by wayof the port b2 to the ports i) andb', which open at diametrically opposite points into the cylinder A, andthereby act on two pistonheads D at the same time to turn the piston Bin the inverse direction of the arrow 0c.

The admission-valve I-I and the cnt-off valve I are preferably made inthe shape of frusturns of cones to insure a snug fitting of theadmission-valve II on its seat in the steamchest Gand a correspondingfitting of the cut-off valve I within the admission-valve I-I.

rThe inner end of the shaft C is made hollow and extends into thecut-off valve I, so that the motive agent can pass through the saidhollow end and a part go into the outer end of the cylinder A to pressagainst this end of the cylinder and the outside of the flange B2 of thepiston B, and in the latter are formed longitudinally-cxtendingpassageways BQ so that the motive agent passinginto the outer end of thecylinder can pass by way of the passages B' to the inner end of thecylinder, thus relieving the fianged end of the piston B of the pressureover these passageways and preventing excessive pressure on the fiangedend of the pistou, butretaining enough pressure on the flange B2 to holdthe same in steam-tight contact with the annular shoulder A7 on thecylinder A and also hold the inner end of the piston B in steam-tightcontact with the inner end of the cylinder. The end of the piston-headsD extend into the flange B2, (see Fig. 5,) and on the end of thepiston-heads D, in the said flange, are secured springs D', pressingwith their free ends against the inside of the Harige B2 to force theinner ends of the said piston-heads D steam-tight against the inner endof the cylinder A.

Ready access is had to the valves 1I and I on simply removing the head Gof the steamchest G. The ad mission-valve His mounted to slidelengthwise on theV shaft C (but turns with the latter) to allow snugfitting of the valve II in its seat in the steam-chest G. For a similarreason the outer end of the cut-oil valve I is formed with notchesengaged by the free ends of the spring .I to allow longitudinal movementof the cutoff valve I in the admission-valve II to compensate at alltimes for wear. The ports c' and c2 are located opposite each other inthe circular valve-seat, and the two ports e in the cnt-off valve I arealso opposite each other. By this arrangement the side pressure on theadmission-valve H and the cutoff valve- I is perfectly balanced.

By the arrangement described a rotary engine is produced free fromexcessive friction, self-adjusting to take up wear at the working parts,and capable of utilizing the steam expansively to any desired degree bysetting the cnt-off valve I correspondingly relative to theadmission-valve I-I and the ports c' and c2.

I do not limit myself to the particular construction shown anddescribed, as it is ovident the same may be varied in its minor featureswithout deviating from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a

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piston mounted to turn therein and provided with slidable piston-heads,a rotary admission-valve in axial alinement with the cylinder androtating inV unison with the said pisprovided with ports registeringwith the oppositely-arranged ports in the steam-chest, and areversing-valve between the steamchest and the cylinder, the common portof the steam-chest opening into the body of the reversing-valve, assetforth.

3. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder provided at one end with asteam-chest having oppositely-disposed ports, a piston mounted to turnin said cylinder, a rotary admission-valve fitting in said steam-chestand rotating inunison with said piston, the said admission-valve beingprovided with ports registering with both of said oppositely-disposedports in the steam-chest, and a-manually-coutrolled cnt-olf valve forthe said admissionvalve, as set forth.

4. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a piston mounted to turntherein and provided with slidable piston-heads, a rotaryadmission-valve in axial alinement ywith the cylinder lrotating inunison with the said piston, and a manually-controlled cut-off valve forthe said admission-valve, the said manuallycontrolled cut-od valve beingfitted within the hollow admission-valve and a spring engaging the outerend of the cut-o valve, as set forth. Y

5. A rotary enginecomprising a cylinderv provided at one end with asteam-chest, a piston mounted to turn in the said cylinder and havingslidable piston-heads, a rotary admission-valve in axial alinement withthe cylinder and fitted in the said steam-chest, the admission valverotating in unison with the said piston, a manually-'controlledreversingvalve for controlling the motive agent on its passage from theadmission-valve to the cylinder, and a manuallycontrolled cut-off valve,fitted 4in the said admission-valve and connected with the motive-agentsupply, as set forth.

6. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a piston mounted to turntherein and provided with slidable spring-pressed piston-heads, a mainshaft carrying the piston, a steam-chest into which extends the saidmain shaft, the said shaft having a passage opening into the steam-chestand communicating by a port with the outer end ofthe cylinder, and arotary admission-valve in the said steam-chest and turning with the saidmain shaft, as set forth. I

' 7. A rotary engine com prisinga cylinder, a piston mounted to turntherein and provided with slidable piston-heads,a main shaft carryingthe piston, a steam-chest into which extends the said main shaft andprovided with oppositely-disposed ports leading to a commonadmission-port, connected with the cylinder, and a cylindrical rotaryadmissionvalve in the said steam-chest, rotating with the said shaft,the admission-valve being open at one end and provided in its rim withlongitudinalports registering with the ports in the steam-chest, as setforth.

8. A rotary engine provided with acylinder having opposite fixedabutments, opposite Working chambers between the abutments andperipheral .inlet and exhaust ports, va steam-chest at one end ot' thecylinder, and apiston mounted to turn in the said cylinder and havingradially-sliding piston-heads, the piston being provided at one end witha flange and also provided with longitudinal passages for the passage ofthe motive agent from one end of the cylinder to the other, assetforth.`

9. A rotary engine provided with a cylinder having opposite fixedabutments, opposite working chambers and peripheral inlet and exhaustports, a steam-chest at one end of the cylinder, a piston mounted toturn in the said cylinder and having radially-sliding piston-heads, thepiston being provided at one end with a flange and also provided withlongitudinal passages for the passageof the motive agent from one end ofthe cylinder'to the other, and a shaft carrying the piston and having ahollow end extending into the said steam-chest, the shaft having a portopening into the end of the cylinder containing the piston-flangefas setforth.

10. A rotary engine comprising a cylinderv having oppositely-arrangedWorking chambers, a piston mounted to turn therein and having kslidablepiston-heads, a main shaft for the said piston, a steam-'chest at oneend of the cylinder, into whichprojects the s aid shaft, a rotaryadmission-valve fitted in the said steam-chest and secured on the saidshaft, and ,a reversing-valve in the passage between the Asteam-chestand the cylinder, the engine being provided with ports leading from op-Lof the cylinder, a piston mounted to turn in said cylinder and havingradially-sliding piston-heads, the piston being provided at one IOO IOS

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end with a flange and also provided with'longitudinal passages for thepassa-ge of the n1otive agent from one end of the cylinder to the other,and a shaft carrying the piston and having a hollow end extending intothe said steamchest, the shaft having a port opening into the end of thecylinder, containing the piston-flange, and the piston-heads extendinginto the flange, with springs on the end ot' the piston heads in saidflange, bearing against the inside of the flange, to press thepiston-heads steam-tight against the inner end of the cylinder, as setforth.

l2. A rotary engine provided with a cylinder having fixedoppositely-disposed abutments and oppositely-arranged Workingchambersbetween the abutments, the Walls of the a-butments and Working chambersbeing connected with each other by inclined faces, a set of portsconnecting the upper end of one working chamber and the lower end of theother Working chamber with a common port, a second set of portsconnecting the other ends of said chambers with a second common port, areversing-valve for admitting the motive agent to either of said commonports, a piston mounted to turn in the said cylinder and in peripheralcontact with the said abutment-s, and spring pressed piston headsmounted to slide radially in the said piston and adapted to engage theWalls of the said abutments in the Working chambers, as set forth.

13. An engine-valve mechanism comprising a rotary conicaladmission-valve, having ports in its rim, and a conicalmanually-controlled cut-oli:l valve, tted in the said admissionvalve andengaged by a spring at its outer end, the said cut-olf valve havingcut-off ports for register with the ports in the said admission-valve,the motive agent passing into the said cut-off Valve, as set forth.

14. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder provided at one end with asteam-chest, apiston mounted to turn in the cylinder and having slidablepiston-heads, a rotary admissionvalve fitted in the said steam-chest androtating in unison with the piston,a cut-oil? valve iit ting in the saidadmission-valve, a shaft under the control of the operator andjournaledin the head of the steanrchest, and a spring secured at its middle onthe inner end of the shaft and engaging with its free ends notches inthe outer end of the cut-off valve, as set forth.

l5. An engine-valve mechanism comprising a steam-chest, a rotary conicaladmissiouvalve mounted in the steam-chest and having ports in its rim, aconical cut-off valve tted in the said admission-valve and having cutoff ports for register With the ports in the said admissionwalve, ashaft journaled in the head of the steam-chest, a spring secured at itsmiddle on the inner end of said shaft and engaging with its free endsnotches in the outer end of said cut-olf valve, and a handle on theouter end of said shaft and provided wilh a spring adapted to engage anotched segment on the head of the steamchest, the motive agent passinginto the said cutoff Valve, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses. f

VIARK RICE.

Vitnesses: 4

JAMES E. DOTY, THOMAS LLOYD.

